Ryu didn't open his eyes at all, but stopped meditating, and opened his mouth to speak.

"You need to rest, your wounds aren't fully closed yet, and you could open the wounds again." Ryu said. "The salve should speed your healing, and the amount of time it'll take for you to heal depends on your own body."

"It was some crazy bast-er-fool. Said his name was 'The Great Lino,'" he mimicked the dramatic tone and hand movements the lunatic had put on.
"Had a clawed glove and some other weapon I'm not entirely familiar with. Exotic. painful." He winced remembering the blades entering him.

He closed his eyes. He had a feeling this isn't the first time he's taken injuries on this level. Not a memory, but like a memory of a memory.
He glanced down at his chest and saw the remnants of a few scars dotting his chest and side. Nothing serious, all well healed. This was the first opportunity he had to examine himself for clues to who he was.

"What's your name, friend? And are you experiencing memory problems like I am?"

Ryu chuckled lightly at Eli and continued to listen to his story. This was a man Ryu found himself to enjoy, he didn't sense any malevolent intent from him, only a benevolent one, like a father feels to his children. Like the feelings one gets from one in authority, a protector, a defender. Ryu sensed he was the same as this man, although a huge difference in appearance.

"I believe I was once called Ryu, The Sun Dragon. But you may call me Ryu if you're not one for titles. I am a peaceful monk, one who would rather teach and heal than to cause suffering and pain. Although I do enjoy the occasional sparring match, but never aim to kill or maim, only to stop. As for the memory problems, I do recall a few, but the rest are hazy. I am in no hurry to remember, as I am sure they will fall into place as time progresses." Ryu explained, stopping for a moment. "And you?"

The crowd around her seemed to dissolve into nothingness, while pieces of memories floated around in a jumbled up mess. Up until now, the memories that have been obtained seemed to make less and less sense. The world they were put in was unfair from the start, and Keela cursed it to the fullest. She looked back on the memory with Ben in the garden, and how she gave him her word that she wouldn't kill. That all changed when the delusional monster attempted to feed Keela false memories- that may or may not be true. With a subtle motion, she reached for her hidden kunai and rushed toward the retreating Revan, slicing him efficiently across his back with the fury stirring in her blood. I won't let you live this time!

The crowd around her seemed to dissolve into nothingness, while pieces of memories floated around in a jumbled up mess. Up until now, the memories that have been obtained seemed to make less and less sense. The world they were put in was unfair from the start, and Keela cursed it to the fullest. She looked back on the memory with Ben in the garden, and how she gave him her word that she wouldn't kill. That all changed when the delusional monster attempted to feed Keela false memories- that may or may not be true. With a subtle motion, she reached for her hidden kunai and rushed toward the retreating Revan, slicing him efficiently across his back with the fury stirring in her blood. I won't let you live this time!

Revan heard the enraged girl's rushing footsteps. He twirled around and round house kicked her in the side of the head. He would've been unscathed if he had been faster. He drew his katana. Walking up to Keela, who was now on the floor, Revan put the edge of his blade against her neck. "Make the slightest movement and I open every vein in your neck." Revan sighed. "It was my intention to alert you to memories we both share. Judging by this reaction, it seems I am the only one who recalls such events." He dug the blade further against her skin. "I am not the same person who you nearly killed on that roof." Revan was concealing his true intentions with these words. "I suppose it is safe to assume that you are different as well. Although you still have that sense of naivety that you had when I met you." He used the sword to tilt her chin upwards. "Even if I hadn't learned these things, you eventually would have, and that wouldn't make it any less painful. So save yourself some time." Once again, Revan began walking away, his blade still drawn. "Oh, and one last thing. You shouldn't let anger guide your attacks. Your strikes were sloppy; I'm surprised they let you be a ninja." As he was walking away, Revan had a curious thought. Why am I antagonizing her so much? Revan huffed. "Perhaps she deserves my hate. I just as well deserved hers."

Sitting up just straight enough to add formality, yet not aggravate his wound, Eli saluted "Eli the Shield is the title I just remembered. But I have a feeling I only used that on occasions of ceremony. Eli is my name and I'm glad to meet you, Ryu." Now he laid back again. "I've got training in combat, that's for certain. I'm fairly certain I am, or was, a knight from wherever I'm from. The most I know is I won't pick up a blade. I think the only reason I would is if I couldn't reach my shield and I needed to protect someone. That shield is what I do. That's my duty, that's clear enough."

He sighed. "But then why am I here away from where that's what I was doing? Seems that memories come back through time here, and through events put on like this here. Who would set up an arena for this purpose? Pitting people against one another for a chance to remember?"

Keela's shoulders slumped in exasperation as her forehead met her trembling hands. Thoughts and doubts rattled her mind, and closing her eyes only kept the images more vivid. She did not take lightly to being insulted, especially about her background of being a shinobi. Her hand seemed to reach her kunai by instinct, but mostly anger. It took her a moment to realize that was not the best approach at the moment, and something else seemed to dawn on her along with her thought. Her eyes seemed to open with a glimmer of realization, as she could only stare at Revan's retreating figure. There had to be more to her story and Revan's past. Perhaps I'm not the only one who's suffering...

Ryu listened to his story, nodding to show he understood. He was correct, this man was like him, but not exactly in the way Ryu had thought. Ryu sought to bring peace, while Eli only strove to protect. Both were similiar, but only in their end result, the protection of life. Then something came to Ryu in a stroke of genius.

"Then perhaps you should pick up a blade, maybe it would be enough to stir something up." Ryu said. "But are you sure this is wise to seek these memories out? Surely we were placed here in this strange land for a reason, which I'm sure you haven't given any thought to, not many of the people here have."

Ryu opened his eyes again and looked up at Eli.

"Although I agree, this is a bit morbid. Forcing others to fight, purely on the whim that they may receive some memories of their past life." He agreed. "As for me, I am a Monk, as I'm sure you can tell. But I haven't remembered much, save for an old man with a long beard."

Eli nodded his head at Ryu's idea, logging that back as something to try later. Ryu's words reminded him of the partial memory he had reclaimed while he was bleeding in the hall.
The voice he had heard still haunted him

"...E-Eli...?.."

He felt the wave of dread trickle down his spine and he shuddered slightly.
"Seeking my lost memories concerns me, for sure... I have reasons to believe I'm not going to like what I remember."
He rubbed his chin in thought, feeling the scruff that was growing there. "You know, I haven't quite thought of that.. I have a feeling I was seeking this place or something like it, I think I wanted to forget. But maybe I was only ALLOWED to find it. Overall, I don't like this situation."
He clenched his fists now. "This is the only lead I have at the moment. I at least need to give it a shot."

Eli broke into a grin "Hell, I'm probably not going to win, but if all I do is stop the psychopaths from killing the relatively sane ones here, then I can rest easy for now

Revan finally made it to his quarters. He was shaking. Not from fear, but from sheer psychological damage dealt unto himself. Flashes of him slashing down helpless people went through his mind; he saw the fear and despair in their eyes; he heard their screams. He felt utterly sick. This is what I've done. This is why I am here. He thought he was being punished for his crimes. However, something was still missing; a key piece of information eluded his gaze. I can't redeem myself until I know the full extent of my evils. He lied down on his bed, and went to sleep.

"I, too, was called here. By what, I don't know, just a strong feeling that lead me out of the mountains and here to this place of suffering." Ryu said.

Ryu watched Eli smile about it and shook his head, disagreeing with him.

"I can understand your need to protect those weaker than you, but do not throw away your life for someone who is destined to die. As sad and morbid as that is, there are some people who are not meant to be saved or to live, some are so lost there is no way you can help them, and some wish to remain lost. All you can do for them is to make their passing easier, and ease their suffering." Ryu said.

Eli glanced towards the window. Outside there was going to be one heck of a fight soon.
He let what Ryu was saying sink in as he watched dust float, illuminated by the light. He followed one particular speck as it swirled and spiraled through the air. Its path brought his eyes to his shield where it rested on the floor. He smiled.
"Well. How I see it, regardless of what fate has planned for anyone, it's my duty to do what I can to preserve the life of anyone who needs protecting. I don't think I could live with myself, carrying around that shield as I do, if I didn't do everything that I could to use it in the defense of someone."

He spoke with a far off look in his eye. Though he could remember any specific instances to back up what he said about himself, his words came from what he could feel in his heart.

Without thinking, Eli grabbed a rag and grabbed ahold of his nose with it. With a short jerk, he popped his nose into a more correct angle and squeezed down, preventing anymore possible blood flow. One eye shut against the unpleasant feeling, he grinned with an air of mild satisfaction to himself.

(He's in good spirits right now, for a guy with a broken nose who was just stabbed xD )

"I see, I admire your drive to do what you feel is your duty. It is honorable to continue on your quest in spite of such a big opponent against you. Fate is not an enemy easily downed, my friend, it is not like you or I. No matter how strong we get, or think we are, there's always a flaw or a weakness." Ryu said. "How are you feeling?"

"Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing supernatural about me except my soul. I don't claim to defy fate. I'll only do what I can, fate will do what it will regardless." Eli shrugged.

"I'm doing fairly well, considering. Whatever you put over the wound is helping a lot with the pain. It's funny how relaxed I'm feeling about this whole thing." He scratched his cheek. "Almost like I'm used to this whole getting injured business."

Looking down at the bandage now, Eli's expression changed to mild concern. "Speaking of fate, depending on when this event begins, it wouldn't be a wise idea to take part. When do you think it starts?" He suddenly looked at Ryu, "Say, are you joining when it starts? I get the feeling you would be rather proficient in defending yourself."

He looked down at the floor for a moment, mulling over what Eli had asked him. In truth he wasn't sure if he was going to fight, his memories weren't as big of a deal to him as they were to others. He knew for sure that he was the same person before as he was now, he hadn't tried to find out about the past or why he awoke on that boulder in the middle of the lake. He came back to reality and looked up at Eli.

"I'm not sure if I will be participating in the event, I am not one to kill or maim for the fun of it. Perhaps if fate forces my hand, I may. But I will try my best to avoid it if possible. As for defending myself, yes, I am more than capable of such things, as I train daily. But like I said, I try not to kill or harm others if I can avoid it. What good would I be if I only brought suffering and grief to the world, instead of the peace and healing I'm capable of?" He asked.

He smiled at Eli and nodded.

"Yes, it is a salve I made myself. There are many plants growing in the mountains and forests here that are beneficial to the human body. The ones I used to prepare the salve are good for inducing healing, disinfecting, pain relief, and relaxation. You should find it easier to sleep with your pain gone and the relaxation side effect. Speaking of which, you should change your bandages again, I'm sure they're dirty again. Are you able to do so yourself? There's more salve in that mortar over there."

Ryu pointed to the stone mortar that rested on the table next to Eli's bed.